Comments

Episode-1448- Listener Feedback for 10-20-14 — 41 Comments

  1. I assume that by stalling you mean the engine won’t start, but the starter is working? If that’s the case, I just put a first gear in, and run the starter. This would make it run for a while, probably just enough to move it to a safe lane.

    But this wouldn’t work if the car had automatic transmission. If that was the case, I would just go out, and push it by myself.

    • Tough luck. If the car can move (the gearbox and the brakes aren’t stuck), I’d probably try to push it to the side as well. On a steep angle, to make it as fast as possible. I would try to do it on my own, even if I had my family inside, as they’re safer inside than out, helping me…

  2. I had to stop listening after the Chili’s segment. I will pick it back up later and finish listening. However I did have a quick comment. One thing you didn’t mention about those automated table kiosks is that they each have a camera in them. I don’t like that at all. I know we have cameras everywhere now to contend with, but it is unsettling to me to have one on the table “watching” me eat :). Sure, it is probably there to record the transaction, so they can prove it was you if your card doesn’t work, etc etc. However, it is just one of those things that invades your space just a little bit more.

    Another thing, how long before we hear that some hacker has managed to break into these and swipe your card info from the next table over?

    • In my opinion, you’re probably not that likely to see somebody “hacking you from another table over”. I’d imagine a large roll out or any large company like this would be sending the data directly to some central server. Why? Significantly cheaper to centralize this kind of processing rather than some sort of local solution. But that all just depends on their architecture.

      So really the risk would be probably the same/similar to the Home Depot incident.

      • POS systems are notorious weak spots. And those systems being small and wireless, it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them ends up in the wrong hands, walking out of the restaurant in someones purse. I’m sure a company is as safe as they know how to be, but some folks thrive on trying to crack that stuff open.

        As with Home Depot, Target went through something similar a couple of Christmas’ ago. I don’t think I would use one. However, I use my card checking out at the grocery store every time I’m there. So, I suppose (other than these being wireless) it is the same thing.

        • A card is actually a bit safer than you think. Even with the Home Depot fiasco (of which we know a person who had money taken from their account) if you use a credit card or have a “good bank” they just reverse the transactions. Done.

          My credit/debit card was part of the Home Depot thing, meh. Just got replaced. Now if its going over wifi we’re talking about another story. I would hope like hell they’re not wifing it. But then again if the data and network is properly encrypted its probably not as big of a deal as people think.

        • I think what @Dennis is trying to say is that those Chili’s machines would be easy to install a card reader on. Target had that happen to them at Christmas. These card readers let the transaction go through without any interference, but now the criminals have all the credit card information to make malicious transactions later…sometimes much later.

          I love the idea of these self-service machines, but I only use credit cards online (which is just as insecure, I know). I would much rather have Chili’s make their bartenders be cashiers as well (or just have separate employees that are strictly cashiers only) that way the machine can print out my receipt and I just walk up to the cashier and pay with whatever form I want. And yes, Jack, that is my least favorite part of going out to eat. I HATE waiting for my check to arrive after I’m done.

        • Actually they would not if they stick to a swipe model. Swipe style machines are VERY hard to put a skimmer on. Insert machines are where the real problems lie.

  3. On the scenario of my car stalling…I would first call AAA and put out my hazard sign which is one of those I do not need to get out of the car to set up-it just mounts to my window. If say I cannot rely on AAA and no good samaritan is willing to help…I would throw out emergency flares (like ones cops use to signal accident on the road) a long way behind my car and the next two lanes I am crossing. I will wait for traffic to clear there and then gauge safety of crossing over-yes I or my wife would have to push. There’s still danger but that’s the best I can think of to mitigate it. Will have other ideas from other responses for sure.

  4. For the scenario question….I would put my flasher’s on if those worked on the vehicle, put on a neon construction vest for visibility and cross the road and get to the road shoulder away from traffic. Immediately, call law enforcement to notify them that my car is stalled and I cannot move it, blocking a lane of traffic which is a traffic hazard. Then I would call a towing company to tow the car. I would wait alongside the shoulder until help arrives.

  5. Regarding the mileage tax in California… this could be implemented easily by asking for the mileage reading on your speedometer when you renew your vehicle registration annually. Any mileage out of the ordinary they can have you stop by the DMV to verify your mileage.

    No tracking needed.

    So why do they want to track you? You know why.

    Don’t truckers pay by the mile already?

    Alex

  6. Re: buying precious metals in Texas.

    As of October last year Texas no longer charges sales tax (was 6.25%) on precious metals and coins.

    Regards

  7. BTW… “Orthorexia” sounds a lot like “Orthodox Judaism” because I am Orthodox and I am concerned about the foods I eat and where they came from. That is because I am KOSHER!

    Am I obsessive? No. I take the rules seriously.

    Will I eat any ^&&* thing you put in front of me? No. I’ll ask you about where it came from and how it was prepared because the Bible clearly places limits on what I am allowed to eat… religiously speaking. That is not an obsession. It’s a commitment. Once I set up a system for myself, it’s like anything else. It runs itself.

    I can tell you right now that if I looked in your pantry, at least half the things in there are certified as kosher. Certainly most of your popular sodas like Pepsi and Coca Cola are. Most of your breakfast cereals like Cherrios and Special K are kosher. It’s a cinch to be kosher because people are half way there already.

    The point is that people can obsess over anything… including washing hands. Simply because I wash my hands before meals and after visiting the facilities does not make me obsessive. It is normal. Can excessive washing be abnormal? Yes. It can but not if you are preparing for surgery. All things in context.

    Alex

  8. Just a quick comment for anyone worried about their local auto dealer being bought out by the manufacturer. Ford tried this in Rochester, NY in the late 1990s to see it it would work. It was called “Rochester Auto Collection” and the several dealers (4-5 or so) supposedly had all the same pricing and policies.

    Within a few years Ford abandoned the concept. Will Tesla make a better go? Who knows, but here it to letting the market decide!

  9. [Fade in: A spokeswoman with a young boy half hiding behind her]

    WOMAN: This is Timmy. Timmy was kidnapped by his illegal immigrant father and whisked away in his vehicle to be a child recruit in a terrorist suicide bomber army. Fortunately for him, the car his father drove was able to be found within minutes using the CarWatch, the newest program brought to you by the United States Government.

    [Scene Change: A collection of clips of children running to their parents and hugging them]

    VOICEOVER: Thousands of lives have already been saved. And countless more will be preserved.

    [Scene Change: CarWatch logo with waving American flag in the background]

    VOICEOVER: CarWatch – Today’s technology, for tomorrow’s lives.

  10. On the concept of Orthorexia… this is pure horse shit. Eating healthy is now a disorder? This is why America is a fat cow. My knee jerk reaction is the person who claims to be vegetarian that is 40 pounds over weight. They eat carbs and get fatter and fatter, I have seen it dozens of times.. Somebody is lying to these people. They keep believing it. It doesn’t affect me, but I see it.

    I’m ok with people who don’t eat meat, but don’t claim that grains are the way forward. Besides, there are so many different varieities of seafood… why would you limit yourself to a “meatless” diet?

  11. Urban farming pilferage- I’ve met several urban farmers/gardeners in Salt Lake City, and I mean “in the city”, that some would consider “low rent” or the “wrong side of the tracks”. These farmers are experiencing NO pilferage, none.

    Most things left in your yard will get stolen, but no one seems to want to go to the effort of picking fresh vegetables.

    As to Salt Lake City (city limits)- they are EXTREMELY liberal with urban farming. You can grow food (in front or back yard) for your consumption or for selling to others. You can also have animals- I’ve seen chickens, rabbits, bees, and even a couple lamas.

    • I agree. I definitely think its so silly to be concerned with the “roaming hordes” coming to get your food forest. I actually heavily eye rolled when Geoff Lawton started feeding into this “obsession” with his first video “Surviving the Crisis” on his website. To give him credit he’s just answering what people are talking about. The fact is, unless you’re “into” fruit trees/bushes you wouldn’t have the slightest idea what you’re looking at, or know to even look that way.

      I was just reminded of down here in New Orleans how they have this urban “garden” that actually had food in it and totally open to the public. Meanwhile there are homeless and hungry people around who apparently don’t know there is … like… fresh food there…

  12. Yes, this born-and-bred Alaska boy can tell you that there is a prevailing pattern that anything “California” is mentioned in the same tone as if one were talking about a dog turd on the carpet. Even the local Democrat or liberal-leaning folks tend to distance themselves from being associated with anything Californian. It’s prevalent enought that the local political machines tend to get a lot of mileage out of the “we hate California” meme and its use as a tool for local propaganda and manipulation of public sentiment.

    (As an aside I really get homesick for Alaska sometimes and would love to go back… Just wish my wife felt the same ;^)

  13. I love the story about NY crying because their people are leaving. Reminds me of the vid of the guy holding his AR with his moving truck behind him.

  14. Orthorexia Sounds crazy, but then I know a lady who researched all kinds of water and decided one particular kind of water was the best for her to drink. Her money was tight so she drank little water as she would only drink that one brand and “couldn’t afford more” and all other water was “bad”. She ended up in a hospital dehydrated.

    There are a few who will take anything to the extreme and throw common sense out the window. No need to give lack of common sense a fancy name, but I can see them naming such extreme cases. However the news article seemed more like you are anti-social and have something wrong with you, if you seek healthy food, if you want to know where your food comes from.

  15. Regarding the Orthorexia piece, my initial reaction is this sounds like one of those cases where ‘you know your on target when you start drawing fire.’ To use the old WWII bomber expression.

  16. Hi, my name is (insert name here) and I have orthorexia. I know I should follow what I was tought in school and on TV regarding nutrition and I should stop lying to my friends, family, and patients about food. I don’t go out to eat very often…I know that’s wrong and I should be flushing my money down the toilet in the form of constipation, gas, and shame, but I’ll admit it. I like to feel good. And maybe fear is part of it…fear of becoming dependent on things like Twinkies just to have them ripped away from me without being able to prepare my body or my mind. On more serious note, here’s a list (not comprehensive) of things I fear more than being fat/unhealthy/diabetic/etc:
    1. An asteroid hitting the earth and killing everyone in it
    2. A zombie apocalypse
    3. Ebola mutating and becoming telepathically transmittable
    4. Wendy Davis becoming governor
    5. Greg Abott becoming governor
    6. Finding a horse head in my “protein style” hamburger
    That whole audio clip about orthorexia sounded like it was straight from The Onion. The moral of this story is that we should all splurge. Defensive driving all the time? Nonsense! Live a little! Close your eyes! Being aware of your surroundings? Lame! Let’s go to the ghetto and text while walking down a dark alley! Helping your kids be safe while crossing the street? Boring!! Tell them to run as fast as they can as soon as they see a car about 100 ft away! Life is better when you’re not so strict and obsessive.

  17. Prepper Scenario – Realistically the car will not completely seize up and getting to the shoulder should be the first instinct when signs of failure occur. I do need to make sure other drivers in my family know this is the first reaction. Even my brother had the transmission on his motorcycle completely lock at ~55+mph and he made it (extremely luckily) to the shoulder before it stopped.
    That said, hazard lights and a phone call. If traffic is seriously as bad as it sounded a 911 call might be in order. If more and more close calls are occurring, place car in neutral and put foot on the brake, brace head firmly on headrest; this should minimize whiplash in the event of a high speed rear-end collision. Wait for authorities, if they are coming.
    If no aid is coming, wait as above with your eye on the mirrors for an opening in traffic. Get off the road, and start humping for home. If no aid is available, you may not need to worry about your car…

    • Seized up as in not able to roll, no, not what I meant, but absolutely will not run.

  18. RE: The Scenario.

    Fortunately I’ve never dealt with this personally, but in every case where I’ve seen a car stalled in the middle of a large urban highway (I used to frequently travel through Atlanta), the traffic immediately surrounding the vehicle quickly backs up and slows way down as they try to find away around. So my first action is not to exit the vehicle but to wait for traffic to stack up behind me a little, I’m safer in the vehicle than outside it.

    Once I can see that the surrounding traffic has adjusted to the obstruction that is my car I’ll take my first good opportunity to step out and start moving to the side of the road. I’m almost certainly going to move toward the shoulder not the median as on a lot of these busy highways the median doesn’t look any safer for a stalled vehicle than the traffic lanes, this also means that if I’m standing outside the driver’s-side door moving to the right I have my vehicle between me and on-coming traffic, which is preferable to the alternative. I’m going to be recruiting help from the motorist as I do this, I’m not going to just dash across as quickly as my legs can push my dead car, I’m going to be sitting in lane 3 watching traffic in lane 2 (to my right) and trying to make eye contact with the drivers passing by there. I’m looking for someone to stop behind me and allow me to roll from lane 3 into lane 2, and repeating the process to get from 2 to 1 and then onto the shoulder. I’m getting my vehicle WELL off the highway (if possible)… I need a tow anyways so the possibility of getting “stuck” on a low or muddy shoulder isn’t going to deter me from getting away from traffic. Once there I, and anyone with me, are exiting the car and moving further away from the highway (if possible), or staying in the car (if there’s nowhere better to go) and calling for help.

  19. Jack-

    Do consider toll roads, “tax by the mile”?

    At least in Texas if you have a TXTag and drive the toll roads they take pictures of your vehicle and track you with a RFID tracking chip.
    You can always opt out and drive the frontage roads and muck through the traffic lights.

    A couple of my employees were arguing about how intrusive and wrong “tax by the mile” was. I asked them what they think toll roads are.

    I’m curious what you think.

  20. Good show! I first learned about orthorexia a few years ago. I believe it is a true disorder, but this news report makes it seem like anyone who cares about their food is orthorexic. What about people who have allergies? Are they considered orthorexic by these standards? I stay away from dairy because it seems to affect my sinuses. I haven’t been diagnosed with a dairy allergy, but I have made my own correlations.

    The market is changing and people are waking up. Perdue runs commercials in my area saying how humanely they raise their chickens….even though we all know they still treat their chickens like crap. The natural/organic food companies are making so much money that the big players are buying them out. For example, Annie’s Naturals just got bought out by General Mills for a ton of money. After this buy-out, they removed the “non-GMO” sticker. Am I orthorexic if I abstain from buying Annie’s products because they don’t support GMO labeling now? It will be interesting to see how things keep changing.

  21. A quick comment that I personally enjoy the non-yelling Jack. I tend to shut out the message during the rants. I feel like I am able to listen to your point a little better without shutting down. This is a very personal thought, and I know everyone likes different things and you have to be you. But anyway, this is one listener’s opinion.

    Thanks!!!!

  22. This line from today’s episode is what finally convinced me to cut back the grains. I doubt I’ll ever make it to full-on paleo, but I can start with one grain-free meal a day.

    “If you actually look at what the food pyramid is and you look at a bag of animal feed that is designed to grow a chicken into a fat chicken in 9 weeks so we can kill it and make money off of it, the make up of the food pyramid is about the same thing.”

  23. Where do i catch this miracle disease, Orthorexia you speak of?? Hopefully it is very infectious!

  24. I found the commentary regarding patriotism most profound. I would like to think that if I was not born in this country, I would somehow have discovered the founders’ ideals and sought to pursue them. Perhaps that is unrealistic.

    I do realize with maturity I am more about the principles than the patriotism. Just like religion, patriotism has been misused both in this country and others for nefarious purposes. I find a little more freedom each time I recognize the hype and can separate marketing from reality. I hope if there was somewhere new to emigrate to where the principles of libertarianism and freedom were earnestly pursued that I would be as brave as the people who started this county and go.

    Thanks once again Jack for giving me perspective. I may have started listening for the practical information on TSP but in addition to the info, I stay for the incredible nuggets of insight.

  25. What I find interesting about orthorexia as talked about in the mainstream (it is a real issue, but like you said it only really affects a very small portion of the population, like how OCD is real, but 99% of people who say “I’m OCD” really aren’t), is that the removing of food groups issue is always about dairy and grains. Vegetarians and vegans remove whole food groups, but I never hear them called orthorexic.